St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-17
LITTLE ROMANCE OF THE ROAD
| How a Tiny SOubrette Unexpect.
eddy Joined a Travelling Company.

New York Sun.
1t was small company. The treasurer,
who was also the leading juvenile in the
drama, owed himself last weeks salary. 1t
must remain sad debt, too, for. with the
comedian, who doubled in brass and was
always week ahead of the treasurer in
salary, there was no possible hope OF imme-
date negotiation. The leading man was
the manager, and at the same time he was
fortunately married to the soubrette star of
the company. They were all in the South,
making one-night stands the misery of
which no man can judge before he shall
have endured it. All night long the train
had been speeding. Force of circumstances
had placed sleepers out Of the question.
Probably they would make Augusta. Ca.
in the morning. and that they were to have
three whole nights, and then there was
chance that the treasurer would pay him
self off.
In the rear of the car the four or five
females of the troupe talked in low tones.
The youngest of them was visibly embar-
raised, and now and then glanced con-
fusedly at the men, four of whom played
poker on a lapboard and wagered chiefly by
word of mouth, gravely booking each turn
OF fortune as with the air that ''all will be
settled anon" Only the leading man
seemed unhappy, and he fingered near the
group of women. Cards seemed to have no
fascination for him that night. The
soubrette star was the center of the party
of females, and her face was that of
woman in pain. After time she whispered
to the girl nearest her, and then to the
leading man.
The game went on. The comedian was
months salary ahead of the treasurer. A
half-suppressed moan came from the other
end of the car. The players would have
turned, but the leading man was facing
them, flush on his face and moist look
in his eyes.
''Its the little girl, boys. J." he said, quietly
enough; something's gone wrong"
The comedian put away the cards. Some
body suggested a smoke. They had all
smoked less than an hour previous, but
they all went ahead into the next car, and
sober faces. The train kept speeding on.
By and by the leading man came into
their car. Somebody put hand out, and
it was grasped firmly and quickly.
tits all right. boysH-joyously; ''but"
-sadly-''it will knock us out for fort
night or more. It's a boy, anyhow, born
Ell route, and Pm proud of itr'
Then and there every man in the car
shook his hand and wished him good luck.
The comedian made small voiced allusiOn
to small bottle. which the treasurer called
big bluff. And, in three hours, Augusta
was made. But there was no star for them
there.
A mothers pale but radiant face looked
out from under the blankets of little bed
in plainly furnished room in a second
class hotel and an infants wee voice pene-
trated to the hallway below. THAT
troupes going to have hard time of it,"
said the night clerk as he went off duty.
''Star sick; nobody to take her place; dates
cancelled; no money; not much wardrobe.
1 think I'll stick to hotel life. Once L
thought I'd take tine advance of a minstrel
show; but reckon Pm luckyw
Sounds like fiction doesn't it? Yet it's
fact, and it happened only ten days ago.
An actor just in from the road told it to the
reporter yesterday, and he verified it with
the names of the company and of the star.